about families, you're talking about outstanding military leaders and overall questions about the fbi. >> the pentagon inspector general is now investigating now general john allen. top american commander in afghanistan. fbi has uncover between 20,000 and 30,000 documents. mostly e-mails sent between allen and this woman, jill kelley. a senior defense official tells msnbc that the e-mails were inappropriate. kelley was the target of paula broad we'll's e-mails. the associated press that broadwell thought of kelley as a romantic rival for petraeus affection. he was supposed to start the process this week to be the next commander of american forces in europe and supreme allied commander of nato, allen will

remain commander in afghanistan. . i don't even know where to begin. how does this happen? >> well, i don't know it happens. particularly in the digital age. the idea that people think that if you have thousands of e-mails that they're not going to be picked up and found out it's sort of amazing. what's most disturbing, this is a terrible time from a foreign policy standpoint to have petraeus out. scandals that are taking key players out of afghanistan, syrian discussions. country that the president has a lot going on right now. >> we were joking coming in that you have to stare at your blackberry because every five minutes something new happens. the one familiar aspect of the david petraeus scandal is that he had an affair.

everything else about this story is weird, in the washington post. >> i was going to see skyfall this weekend. i'm going to stay at home and read the sunday times. this is totally bizarre. there's so much that we don't know, this fbi investigator. not just four people. there's an fbi and cia, infa infatuated with jill kelley >> let's get this straight. this guy works at the fbi, becomes infatuated. she gets shirtless photos of him allegedly. she goes to him and says i'm getting these weird e-mails. >> he takes this matter into a federal investigation you have to wonder. an fbi investigation if not for this one agent's involvement and especially him going to congress

as a whistle blower saying it wasn't being investigated fairly. it's just very bizarre. >> once the fbi got involved, why didn't notify the white house and congress right away? the questions go on and on. >> don't send shirtless picture of yourself, unless they're vacation photos with your family. >> these e-mails with john allen, 20,000 and 30,000 e-mails. as a member of council of foreign relations, what does this do to the president? >> david petraeus was a very important part of all of these conversations. he would have been a crucial advisement, the civil war in syria, all of which are among

the pressing foreign policy questions right now. he doesn't need him resigning at this moment. >> let me bring an nbc analyst. you're okay with your ifb and everything? >> yes. >> again, i don't know where to begin. we're hearing that they're talking about speeding the replacement process for general allen in europe. the first thing i thought is, i mean, you have two men among the best, the brightest the most experienced, the most respected in the entire military, how deep is the bench to fill in the pieces? >> well, look, you know, it's a tragedy. loss of petraeus is really a blow to the country. he's an immensely skilled officer. so pulling him at this point is

really a problem in this. allen implicated with the same woman indirectly in tampa is astonishing. there's a question, chris, though, about our priorities. we spend $7 billion a month on afghanistan. the two political candidates didn't talk about this war. and now, we become obsessed with the sex life of the cia director and the commander. >> are you suggesting, general, that it's not appropriate for if he's involved in a sex scandal and some -- we don't know -- possibly some indication, given the speech that he gave at the university of denver that maybe she had some classified information, are you suggesting that maybe it's not appropriate for david petraeus to step down? >> not at all. i think he did the right thing. it's too shocking. it's too risky behavior.

i guess what i'm asking is, i wonder why the country didn't focus on the war during a political election in which this issue should have been front place, now, we're obsessed with a spin-off with some of the characters involved in it. >> part of it is, i'm not going to defend, again, the amount of attention, but, wasn't everyone who knew david petraeus and general allen for that matter, shocked by this, i mean, this is just so outside? >> oh, yes. i have known petraeus since he was 25. he's brilliant, talented. he has great judgment. he's been a national hero certainly for the last decade. his loss due to this personal discretion is a tragic loss.

raising questions into the fbi investigation, they knew about it over the summer, all of this happens after election day and right before petraeus was set to testify on benghazi? conspiracy theories or is something fishy going on? >> they looked at it and said it's not criminal and they decided not to report it to the white house. it's hard to imagine why the attorney general didn't pick up the phone and call the commander in chief in one of his most sensitive officers of government was involved in an investigation. i don't understand it, either. we have to sort out why that happened. >> let me ask you quickly, general, how much play is this getting over in london where you are? >> it's global fascination with

the u.s. focused on this issue. they listen to what we say to each other and what we think is important. they're listening with some sense of whimsy with what we're up to. >> general, thank you so much. and speaking of the fbi investigation, i guess, who on capitol hill should have been told, defense secretary leon panetta was asked about that this morning. >> that's another issue that we got to look at. as former director of cia and having worked very closely with the intelligence committees, you know, i believe that there's a responsibility to make sure that the intelligence committees are informed of issues that could affect, you know, the security of those intelligence operations. >> both mike rogers, they're going to press the cia over the time line of the investigation.

>> we have rules and laws that specify when you kick these matters up the command chain. we'll find out if those rules were violated. looking at the fbi part of the investigation, if you're the superior of the guy who had linked to jill kelley. >> it would have to go to him, right sf. >> all of sudden, you guys started this, you're asking yourself, what do i real wily h here? >> what else you have here, you heard the general talking about it is that these are guys who have known for their intellect. flooeter of these women are slouch either. they somehow thought they could hide this stuff. >> it makes you think that every single person in a security position needs some digital

training to really understand the ramifications of all of this. coming at such a bad time from a nati foreign policy standpoint. >> any other implicatiomplicati bringing up the benghazi, it will hurt susan rice becoming the new secretary of state. >> republicans are determined to dea deny her that job. it will be districting. we'll see. >> making the u.s. inept and distracted on the national stage. i thought that the president articulated a smart strategy on foreign policy. this should be a moment of focusing on coming together.

>> back to the first question that i asked the general, how deep is the bench? how many people, look i'm not saying there are a lot of talented and smart people in the u.s., a handful of stars who really can operate at this level and rona correctly points out, that breadth of experience. >> these guys were leading our war efforts in some pivotal places in the world. to lose them so quick lly in th kind of fashion is kind of a shock to the system. are there people that can pick up the reins of this. >> is this the end of this? >> i don't think so. >> who knew what when? if the fbi was involved much earlier, why didn't it inform the white house and congress? as you say, why were some of the most important and powerful people in the security and military taking their eye off

the ball? >> i have the same question, how you could not tell the president about this? how does he not know until the last second? very strange. >> more to come. thanks to both of you for coming in. president obama is going to be busy the next couple of days. remember this story, the fiscal cliff, he's meeting today with labor leaders to put heat on congress to come up with a deal. tomorrow the president will meet with chief executives of big business businesses. the president will also hold a news conference. on friday, he meets with democratic and gop leaders of both houses to start negotiations. i earn 1% cash back everywhere, every time. [ both ] 2% back on groceries.

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congress returns to work today for its lame-duck is session. on top of to-do list, work to avert a fiscal crisis. the president is set to sit down with congressional leaders on friday to work on a compromise. the automatic tax increases and budget cuts are set to kick in at the end of the year. congressman, good morning. >> thank you. good to hear from you. >> tell me your path, how does this deal get done? >> i think that the president outlined it perfectly well. that there has to be revenue generation, we have to look at those top income brackets. and they have to pay their fair share. without revenue generation, no one wants those automatic cuts and number two, it's a question of fairness.

you can talk about loopholes. it's not going to generate the revenue need to soften the potential cuts and also, let us invest and i think one of the investment areas is going to have to be job creation. i think the president outlined it. we hope he sticks to that and i think the republicans in the house have got to be the ones that come to the table with the understanding they're indeed negotiations with give and take, and you know, this is what we're going to do and you have to go along with it. that was the strategy for two years. the american people have spoke. . our president is reelected. >> well, i don't need to tell you what their argument is, congressman, to raise taxes on the wealthy, small business owners, where is this fight you think going to be centering on?

people who make $250,000 to $1 million. where is the room for negotiations. >> it's on looking at issues of tax rates. looking at issues of deductions. but, i think there has to be a firmness on part of democrats in the senate and the administration, that top 1% needs to pay its fair share, they have to be part of the solution, and to say that -- to say that we continue the bush tax cuts forever without the exception of the middle-class tax cut, i think this is destined to keep us in this quagmire that we are economically in this country. >> your colleague said when to work on a bipartisan basis is right after the election. t you have gained seats in the

house and gained in the senate. how does the president capitalize on that? >> well, i think, we need to reflect on what the american people voted on. exit polls said that 60%-plus feel that top 2% -- that tax cut has to go away and they have to contribute their fair share toward the economy. that's a consistent point. i think we need to stick to our guns on that. >> the other side of equation and this from newt gingrich this morning, some advice for republicans. >> no house republican should be bamboozled into this idea that the only person who has a mandate is barack obama. the house republicans have a mandate. it's fundamentally different than the president's mandate. instead, to say, paul ryan is going forth a solution, we'll gather votes for it. i guarantee you'll get the

democratic substitute. >> what do you think about that congressman? >> i think the house is republican controlled, a consequence of redistricting. and it was the superpacs that were very engtive in some house races. the fact of the matter is, we gained and there still six out there to be decided. we could gain more. i think at the house level, for the house to continue the role its played for two years is bad advice. the issue the famous statement, what i mean by compromise, i think cantor said, we have to agree with us. that's gone now. the president has a pull pit that he can take to the public on these issues and increase pressure on congress. >> lot of other issues on the docket. whether it's in the lame duck or coming up in the new session of

congress, gingrich also talked about the need for the republican party to come to grips with immigration after mitt romney's poor performance among latino voters. he got less than 30%. do you think republicans will be more open to passing immigration reform now? >> if it's not because of the good bs of their heart, it's an issue that needs to dealt with, it has to be political consideration and the convenience. the loss in the asian community and latino community, for the republican party is huge. this issue is driving that movement toward the democratic party. i would suggest that this is an issue for the new congress. it's doable. we can pass the dream act. we can look at comprehensive immigration reform and stop talking about self-deportation. stop talking about

enforcement-only and deal with the reality. i think that the american people want us to do that. it behooves them to listen and come to the table with an open mind anding work on a package that will be both good and just for this country. >> always good to see you, thank you. >> thank you. will she stay or will she go? nancy pelosi is expected to meet with democratic leaders tonight and said that she'll discuss her decision with her caucus. >> i would be shocked if she left. it would be surprised if she step aside. nancy pelosi is someone who absolutely loves to be part of the architecture of big, major decisions. ♪

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bisexual in congress. the money goes to the room noa victory fund. finally jon stewart blames himself for not something that was going on between david petraeus and paula broadwell. since she was a guest on his show. >> journalist instincts. i give you a quick snippet of my interview. >> crushed his pelvis and was back in the swimming pool. he can turn water into bottled water. >> the whole thing was like, innuendo after innuendo and the whole time, i was thinking -- [

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>> good morning. you worked for john kerry, secretary of state, secretary of defense? what do you think. >> i helped support his presidential campaign. he's an unbelievably qualified leader for either of those posts. >> he wants secretary of state, doesn't he? >> those are the rumors. i don't know. i never asked him that. people like to post a lot of rur morse versus what happens between the two parties. clearly his skill set would be put well in either of those positions. >> the washington post reports that susan rice may be the top pick for secretary of state. senate republicans warn that she'll have a tough time because of her role in benghazi. is this a fight that either republicans or the white house want? >> i'm not sure that the democrats or the white house really want this fight per se,

given the talk of bipartis bipartisanship. at the end of the day, it's the president's decision. both of these individuals, senator kerry and dr. rice are qualified, especially senator kerry given the fact that he's chairman of the foreign relat n relations committee. the question is, what does the president want to do? one could make the argument the most important position right now is probably the secretary of state's position because hillary clinton has decided obviously she's going to step down sooner rather than later. >> you have a number of people that you could say are qualified, what's the most important thing then, this has to be one of the top cabinet positions in terms of the relation between the president and that person and how they need to get along and trust them? >> you raise something that's very important, the trust factor. i think the president deserves a

lot of credit, the stability of his cabinet has been good. when you look at secretary of state, secretary of defense, you're looking at what is a larger picture of the national security team. like the economic team. not any one piece. all of those pieces of the puzzle have to fit well together. it's a team front. so, there's no one choice made in isolation. it's together as a team. do you bring the skill set collectively that best serve the president and the country? i think the president obama gets a lot of credit. >> kiki is 1,000% correct on this. the president has to think about this through a political lens, does he want jon kerry take the

seat and give that seat back to scott brown? have dr. rice go through a bruising confirmation battle right now? but attend of the day, it's about politics. >> kiki, in addition to susan rices, other women mentioned. sheryl sand best as commerce secretary. what do you think is the likelihood of either of those? >> i can't speak to the likelihood because it would be pure speculation. these are accomplished leaders. they're women. and i think it goes back to the other issue that you mentioned, is the skill there? is the talent there? is the trust there to serve the people? you make good points to their

decisions about what somebody does or doesn't want to put their family through. the personal politics are going to be out of this. i think we're seeing signals from both sides. they understand the need to actually work together on issues. that goes for presidential appointments as well. let's get the president's appointments approved and through. unless there's a material reason they shouldn't. >> all right, robert, here's the $6 million question, did you laugh or pause when you saw these reports that potentially the president could try to draw in mitt romney in some way? >> i didn't laugh at that. here's why, look, the country is equally divided here. we clearly need to move together in the senate and to have a compromise from both the left and the right. this is consistent with then-president obama and

candidate foe hillary clinton in -- >> hold on. hold on. but hold on, i'll remind you what senator obama said, he really admire the rival. there's a political ramification for anything that he does. i have to give the president credit that this is consistent with what he said in the past. >> i have confidence that the president thought governor romney could play a significant and meaningful role. >> kiki ever the diplomatic. also making news this morning -- gas rationing in new jersey is over. governor christie said that there's enough gas for drivers. drivers had been waiting in lines for hours, because a lot of those gas stations didn't

have the power to pump. rationing is the still in effect in new york. meantime, 300,000 people are still without power. the soldier accused of killing six afghan civilians in afghanistan, during the hearing, the defense beals couldn't have acted alone. nascar driver jeff gordon being fined $100,000 for his role in a nasty wreck and a fight at a race sunday in phoenix. gordon ran into clint bowyer. causing the crash. both crews got involved in the fight. there also a fine for bowyer's crew chief. that was 25 grand. planning for travel for thanksgiving? tsa is expected more than 24

million people to fly during the holiday. administrators say, travelers should visit the tas website to remind themselves on airport policies. and still ahead -- tracking down the e-mail trail between general david petraeus and his alleged mistress, where they using a trick that's popular with teens and terrorists to cover their tracks. target is a target of a petition to kick off shopping on thanksgiving night. thank you for stepping in for us. target, toys r us, they're moving black friday up to thursday and they're getting some backlash. >> chris, you can say the bar is moving higher lower. target is going to open three

hours earlier than it planned last year. 9:00 p.m. people aren't happy about it. online petition started by a target employee has garnered 265,000 signatures. unclear target's response to this letter. toys r us is going to open an hour earlier than target, 8:00 p.m. on thanksgiving day. if you want to go to toys r us, you got to finish your thanksgiving dinner. >> let's talk about lights. l.e.d. bulbs, how much are we talking about here. >> they're going to be a lot more expensive. no question. lot of businesses and consumers alike have resisted this push to become more energy efficient. look this l.e.d. light bulb is

25,000 hours or so the producers are claiming. >> that's good to be the selling point for something that's going to be much more expensive. $55 at home depot. people will have to start saving for light bulb. never thought happen. another obstacle in the making the switch. if you're the holiday shopping mood, amazon is out with its top books for 2012. number one billy lynn's long halftime walk. number three, "gone girl." number two "the yellow birds." and amazon's top pick for 2012, "the round house." a page-turning masterpiece.

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parent stress may be harming their children. data from a new study reveals that parents who have high stress are more likely to raise obese children. less than an hour from now, president obama meets with labor and civic leaders to discuss how to avert the fiscal cliff. let me bring in jodi cantor. jodi, good morning. president is hoping to apply lessons of his failed attempt to

cut a budget deal last year. >> what the president has to do to build his mandate is to play an inside game and outside game. us use that political asset white house more than ever before. i would 40 republicans there, 40 democrats. but the outside game, means he has to mobilize that base. >> jodi, do you see the president approaching this second term differently. >> oh, absolutely. remember the debt ceiling crisis was the endear in the president obama. there's only the united states of america. then at a critical moment in his presidency, he couldn't even bring red and blue together to come one a common sense budget deal. he has something rare and valuable right now, which is a

chance to almost rewrite that history and to do things very differently this time. >> without re-election to worry about, how does that change things for him. >> obviously, things have shifted in congress. you could also feel the change the day after election day, with the republicans recalibrating what they were willing to do. president obama, i wrote in the paper last week, about his difference with people like doris kearns goodwin, to kind of chart his long path. one thing they said consistently to him privately is what doris kearns goodwin said on meet the press. one of the things they told the president he has to do a better job creating a day-to-day link with the nation. having the nation really understand what he's trying to

do and being much more persuasive. >> you talk about they have told him to stop looking back. are the particular sort of skills and mindsets that he has that could help him avoid that? >> i think what the president has on his side, he's had one of the great learning curves in american political history. think about when he came to washington in january 2009. he didn't have a ton of washington experience, managerial experience, national security experience. he has all of those things now. he's acquired all of that knowledge the hard way. i think it's very interesting even the administration's language in the past two days has been lessons learned. things that we would like to do differently this time. they're clearly sending a message that not everything went

perfectly the first time around. >> you can't help, i suppose, when you're reelected president to think about your legacy and that you have four more years of opportunities, what do you sees as his priorities as he considers how history will judge him? >> what's interesting president obama is a little precocious in this regard. all presidents worry about his legacy. his president was worrying about his president legacy when he a couple of years out of the illinois state senate. he said from the beginning i don't want to be a regular president. i want to leave something lasting behind. i want to be a. transformational president. like a roosevelt or a reagan. from the beginning, he set that bar very, very, very high. now his second term is kind of a chance to make good on that promise. >> jodi, good to see you. >> thank you. today's tweet of the day,

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new details about the fbi's e-mail trail that led to the resignation of cia director general david petraeus. richard, the fbi says that general petraeus and paula broadwell tried to cover their tracks. >> chris, it's a tactic that terrorists and teenagers have used for a better part of the decade. you create one web-based e-mail account like yahoo! using an anonymous name. what they do, they write e-mails but then never say them, they save them as drafts.

using them in a digital drop box. the members of that secret group can logon to read those drafts. fbi agents believe that's what cia director david petraeus and mistress paula broadwell did with a gmail account that petraeus created. it's a difficult tactic to trace. the road it took to get to its destination. government can get around that by subpoenaing information from that e-mail provider. that information can help reveal a all of the e-mail accounts used at a single location. "new york times" saying that the fbi was able to trace broadwell use age because they figured out the computers that she was using. now if they were sent over a cia

e-mail account, needless to say, such communications would be widely apparent. double and triple backups are scoured con about t eed constan. >> bob smith, really? that's the best you could come with up. richard. >> thank you. that's going to do it for me. guess who's here, thomas roberts. we have have a lot coming up in the next hour. the u.s. top informed leaders, david petraeus and john allen. why one woman in tampa is connected to top of the u.s. military brass. congressman chris van holden will join me on the fiscal cliff. and ally sheedy is going to

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from jammin' jerk chicken, to creamy gouda bisque. see what's new from campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. hi, everybody. good morning. i'm thomas roberts. topping the agenda today -- two big stories. a live look at capitol hill where congress is back from an election recess with a daunting task -- stopping the country from going over the fiscal cliff but overshadowing all of that is the petraeus affair. now more and more details emerging. but first, the second ranked is under the microscope, john allen. a u.s. official telling nbc news that 20 to 30,000 pages of documents could connect general allen to jill kelley. allen has denied all wrongdoing. kelley you may recall is the same married mom